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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Mira L. Katz, PhD, MPH1, Alice Ammerman, DrPH, RD2, Kristine Kelsey, PhD, RD3, Margaret E. Bentley, PhD4, Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD5, Dianne S. Ward, EdD6, Kenitra Carby-Shields6, Amy Corneli, MPH, CHES7, Mikisha Brown8, Renae France6, and Sara Benjamin, MPH6. (1) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1700 Airport Road, CB#8140, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (919) 966-0355, mira_katz@med.unc.edu, (2) Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1700 Airport Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (3) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Center for Development and Learning and Department of Nutrition, 1450 NC Highway, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (4) Nutrition, UNC-Chapel Hill, CB 7400, McGavran Greenberg, School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, (5) Schools of Public Health and Medicine, 123 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, (6) School of Public Health Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, 140 Rosenau Hall, CB#7400, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (7) Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 310 A Rosenau, CB 7400, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (8) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1700 Airport Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Girls Rule! is a church-based, age and culturally appropriate obesity prevention pilot study for African American girls (age 6 to 9) and their female caregivers. To provide prompts to increase physical activity and improve eating habits between weekly sessions, two special components were developed to maintain interest and commitment to the program; 1) a daily calendar with facts and suggestions for healthy eating, ideas to increase physical activity, and positive thoughts to improve self-esteem, and 2) challenges to maintain engagement between sessions. Examples of challenges are word puzzles, fruit and vegetable poetry/stories, and artwork focusing on associated topics (i.e. body image). A chart with stickers marking completed challenges is kept, and incentives are given for every six completed. To date, the challenge completion rate is 64% (81%:weeks 1-8, 47%:weeks 9-16). The completion of challenges did not correlate (r=.1638, p=0.630) with attendance during the first 8 weeks, but correlated for the second 8 weeks (r=.7740, p=0.005). Girls missing sessions during the first time period continued to complete and turn in challenges, however, this did not occur during the second period. The daily calendar and weekly challenges are a “fun” method for repetition of concepts taught during the sessions, and function as expressive communications providing insight into feelings/thoughts that may not be verbalized in this age group. We found reasonable completion rates, especially during the first eight weeks. Creative methods to maintain interest are needed when planning obesity prevention programs for children. Motivators to increase completion rates are currently being explored.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Obesity, African American
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.